Fuel pump and distributor



Dec. 17, 1929. B. M. ASLAKSON FUEL PUMP AND DISTRIBUTOR Filed Feb. 1, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet l J/TZZ/SV Dec. 17, 1929.

' i B. M. ASLAKSON FUEL PUMP AND DISTRIBUTOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 1, 1925 fimier/yaiaiaoa @04 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 17, 1929. B. M. ASLAKSON FUEL PUMP AND DISTRIBUTQR Filed Feb. 1. 1925 l/zrzzvv 9 2 Dec. 17, 1929.

B. M. ASLAKSON FUEL PUMP AND DISTRIBUTOR Filed Feb. 1923 4 $heets$heet 4 Patented Dec. 17, 1929 BAXTER M. ASLAKSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS FUEL PUMP AND DISTRIBUTOR Application filed February 1, 1923. Serial No. 616,241.

This invention relates to a fuel pump and distributor especially adapted for use in con nection with internal combustion engines of the type in which liquid fuel is forced either directly into the combustion chambers of the engine or into an injection chamber communicating with the combustion chamber.

Theprincipal object of the present invention is to produce a pump suitable for use with high speed engines, by virtue of its operating with rotary motion rather than reciprocatory.

Another object of the invention is to produce a fuel pump of the kind described in the form of a self-contained compact unit arranged to supply the cylinders of a multioylinder engine With fuel under pressure and which is of a character to give continuous service over long periods of time without the necessity for replacements or continual adjustments.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for accurately distributing liquid fuel under pressure to the various cylinders of the engine in their proper firing order, the distributing means being of such a character as to avoid leakage through packing or stufiing boxes.

Another object has reference to the provision in the device of means whereby the amount of fuel in the charges ejected to the may be varied, the said means engine being operated preferably proportionately to 1 changes in speed of the engine arising through variations in the load thereof or in other ways so that the deviceserves in the nature of a governor for the engine;

The invention embraces still further objects and advantages which will be pointed out more clearly in the following description. In the drawings forming a part hereof Fig. 1 is a horizontal longitudinal section taken through the center of the device on the line 7 11 of Figs. 2, 5 and 6. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the center of the device taken on theline 2-2 of Figs. 1,

5 and 6. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar section. on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Figs. 5

and 6 are views of opposite ends of the deair is compressed to such a degree that the.

0 resulting temperature is sufliciently high to ignite a fuel charge when the same is introduced into the cylinder. Manifestly, the occurrence of combustion in the cylinder may be advanced or retarded simply by advancing or retarding the moment of injection of the fuel. The result thus secured is the same as that secured in ordinary internal combustion engines using spark i niters, where the occurrence of the spark eing advanced or retarded, advances or retards the ingition of the fuel in the cylinder. The quantity of charge injected into the cylinder is also. adapted to be varied to control the speed at which the engine will operate, the same as though a throttle in an ordinary internal combustion engine were to be opened or closed. The device of the present invention embodies means for securing the aforementioned .desired results as will be hereinafter described.

The embodiment of the invention selected forillustration is conveniently made up 0 a tubular shell or casing 1 having at one end a head plate 2 and having at its opposite end an end plate 3 arranged to be held in place and adjusted toward the head plate 2 by means of the gland nut 4 threaded upon the casing 1.

An intermediate plate 5 of substantially the proportions of the head and end plates fits closely within the casingl between the head and end plates. Between the end plate 3 and the intermediate plate 5 are a plurality of filler plates 6 all of substantially the same proportions. Another set of filler plates 7 is disposed between the head plate 2 and the intermediate plate 5. The casing 1 and filler plates 6 and 7 together constitute a casing or body in which the working parts are contained. It will be understood that any other suitable casing or body may be employed.

The device being arranged to operate with fuel oils of about the grade of crude oil or better and to produce and maintain considerable ressures, it is of course necessary to have f iuid-tight fits to prevent leakage. With this in mind the internal bore of the shell or.

casing 1 is ground to a high degree of precision as are also the peripheries of the plates 3, 5, 6 and 7 and the contacting faces of these plates. It is understood that modern machine methods are equal to these requirements and that with the plates thus produced there will be hardly any noticeable leakage at the joints. At all places where parts are turning with respect to other parts the precaution is taken to provide suitable packing as will be pointed out later.

The plates 6 are recessed to receive toothed impeller disks 8 and 9. These disks are virtually spur gears having true cycloiolal teeth so that their meshing engagement results in line contacts and is substantially leakageproof. These disks are, of course, accurately ground on both faces and on their periphery to fit so closel' in the recesses in the plate 6 that there wil be substantially no leakage past them. The disks 8 are rigidly mounted upon the driver shaft 10 which has suitable driving connections with the engine with which the pump'is associated. While the in-.

Vention may be employed in connection with engines operating on various cycles, the driving connections between the engine and the pump may, in this instance, be assumed to operate at a tWo-to-one ratio so that the pump mechanism is operated in proper synchronism with the actions of the engine to supply charges to the cylinders thereof, once for every two revolutions of the engine crank shaft. The purpose of this will be apparent when the description is more advanced. The shaft 10 has flats 11 milled thereon intermediate its ends to make the same square. The disks 8 are broached centrally to fit the square portion of the shaft 10 to turn therewith. Qollets or sleeves 12 having a cylindrical outer surface and broached centrally similarly to the disks 8 to fit the square portion of the shaft 10, are interposed between the disks 8. These collets fit closely within circular openings in the plates 6 and are arranged to turn therein in the operation of the shaft 10. A

similarly squared portion 11 near the inner end of the shaft 10'has distributor disks 13 fitting thereon and arranged to turn therewith and has also collets or sleeves 14 interposed between the pairs of distributor disks. The disks 13 and collets 14 fit closely 'within recesses and 'openings respectively provided in the plates 7. The function of the distributor disks will be pointed out later. Intermediate the square portions 11 and 11 of the shaft 10 there is an enlarged cylindrical portion 15 bearing with a close fit in the intermediate plate 5. The opposite ends of the.

shaft 10 are turned down to a smaller diam eter as shown. At the outer end the shaft is journaled in a bearing 16 in the end plate 3 and has suitable packing means shown at 17 to prevent leakage along the shaft when the same turns in its bearings. The inner end of the shaft 10 is threaded to receive a cylindrical nut 18 turning in a cylindrical recess or bearing 19 in the head plate 2. It is apparent that when the end plate 3 is secured in place by the nut 4 the various filler plates 6 and 7 together with the intermediate plate 5, are clamped securely together and are to all intents and purposes as one piece. The impeller disks 8 and the distributor disks 13 with their collets 12 and 14, respectively, are likewise. held firmly between the plates in assembled relationship. The impeller disks-9 which mesh with the impeller disks 8 are mounted on a countershaft 20- disposed in parallel relationship with the shaft 10. This shaft, like the shaft 10, is reduced at its opposite ends to be received in bearings '21 and 22 in the end plate 3 and intermediate plate 5, respectively. The enlarged intermediate portion of the shaft 20 is squared similarly to the shaft 10 and has the impeller disks 9 provided with. broached openings to fit. Collets 1.2 are provided which are similar in all respects to the collets 12 and are disposed between thepairs of impeller disks 9.

The pump has a fuel supply inlet through the end plate 3 in the form of a pipe 23. The latter may conveniently extend from an elevated supply tank so that fuel will flow by gravity into the pump and the likelihood of the formation of air bubbles in the system because of air being sucked in at leaky joints is avoided. For the purposes of the description it may be assumed that there will be a substantially solid column of fuel entering at the inlet 23. The inlet pipe 23 is connected by a union 24 with a tube 25 fitting closely in aligned openings in the end plate 3 and the filler plates 6. The tube has a tapering solid inner end arranged to be secured rigidly in the intermediate plate 5 by means of the nut 26, threaded on the reduced inner end thereof. The bore of the tube 25 communicates through a port 27 in its wall with a passage 28 in the end plate 3. The latter communicates with the continuous passages 29 provided in the plates 6 and extending between the sets of intermeshing impeller disks. The passages 29 place the sets of intermeshing impeller disks in series with each other. There results as a consequence a considerable pressure at the passage 30 leading into the pressure chamber 31 from the endmost passage 29 of the series of communicating passages. In fact, the pressure which will be attained in the pressure chamber 31 Will be substantially that produced theoretically by the displacement .of the pump by virtue of the novel arrangement disclosed. This result is accomplished by each set of impellers serving to pick up and send back leakage from other impellers forward therefrom. Thus any fuel leaking past any one of the sets of intermeshing impeller disks must, before it can leak through entirely, leak past all of the sets of disks between the set in question and the inlet; andsince all of the disks operate to force the fuel in the same direction, the action may be compared with that secured by the use of a series of piston rings which prevent any appreciable loss of pressure when arranged in series since each seals against the loss of pressure permitted by the next adjoining. It is the pressure maintained in the pressure chamber 31 which, to inject the fuel into theengine, overcomes the pressure in the cylinder of the engine or in the injection c amber sometimes provided in engines of the class with which the device of the present invention is designed to be used.

The pump is provided with a plurality of outlets 32 in thehead plate 2, the number of which is varied according to the number of cylinders of the engine with which the pump is to be used. In the present embodiment four outlets are illustrated to be used in connection with a four-cylinder engine. Theseoutlets are in the form of pipes or tubes leading to the cylinders of the engine or to the injection chambers communicating with the cylinders. Suitable injection nozzles may be employed in connection with these tubes. These tubes are shown as being connected by standard couplings 33 threaded in cylindrical recesses 34 provided in the bpss 35on the head plate 2. The recesses 34 have ducts 36 extending inwardly there from to be registered with by the discharge port 37 in the endmost distributor disk of the series of such disks mounted on the shaft 10. The mouths of the ducts 36 are disposed at regularly spaced intervals, in the present instance, apart. The disks 13 move the discharge ports 37, of which there is one provided in each of the disks 13, past the mouths of the ducts 36 leading through the outlets 32 to the cylinders of the engine. The ports 37 of the several disks 13 are alined with each other. The intermediate plate 5 and the filler plates 7 are drilled to provide communicating ducts 38 spaced at 90 intervals. These ducts communicate with the pressure chamber 31. In the revolution of the distributor disks 13, the ports 37 are brought into register with the ducts 38 one after another, thus establishing momentary communication between the pressurechamber 31. and the successive ducts 36. The out lets 32 are so relates to the cylinders of the engine that the latter receive charges in their proper firing order.. The distributor disks 13 operating as they do with the filler plates 7 providing walls therebetween will not permit leakage thereby, the action thereof beappreciated that numerous methods are,

available for accomplishing this result.

The speed of the engine, besides being controlled by the advancing or retardingof the combustion is capable of being controlled by varying the quantity of fuel ejected to the engine cylinders. The means for accomplishing this purpose may be in the form of means arranged to be adjusted to permanently control the operation of the engine or means controlled by a governor or the like to I be varied accordingly as the speed of 'the engine varies due toa change in the load placed upon the engine or in other ways. I prefer to employ in this connection a metering valve 42, (Fig. 1) adjustable automatically in an out in a tube 42 by reason of a threaded portion thereof engaging in a stationary nut 43, fastened upon the outside of the device on the end plate 3by cap screws 44 (Fig. 5). The automatic operation is transmitted through a spanner 45 engaging in spaced openings in the knurled head 46 on the metering valve. The valve, in order to prevent leakage, is provided with packing 47 in the outer end of the tube 42. The spanner 4:5 is of course capable of being operated by means similar to a throttle lever on a quadrant as is ordinarily used in automobiles but is herein preferably operated from a governor to maintain the speed of the engine constant despite variations in the load placed upon the engine. The valve 42 operates in a cage 48 set in the intermediate plate 5. The cage has a chamber 49 communicating with the pressure chamber 31 through a passage 50. The chamber 49 also communicates through a bypass with the inlet of the pump, the bypass consisting of a duct 51 communicating with a longitudinal duct 52, an an nular-duct 53 and registering ports 54: in one of the filler plates 6 and the wall of the tube 25. The tube 25 has threaded therein a plug 55 which serves as an adjustable abutment for a coiled tension spring 56 for seating a valve 57, the purpose of which will be brought out presently. The plug 55 has a number of holes 58 drilled through it to provide communication through the tube from the ports 54 to the port 27. The metering valve 4:2 serves to permit a limited quantity of fuel to bypass from the pressure chamber 31 to the fuel supply inlet of the pump and in this way provides for adjustment of the pressure within the pressure chamber. The quantity of fuel discharged to the engine cylinders in each charge is thereby controlled.

. Besides the bypass provided for the metering valve there is a second bypass which the valve 57 is arranged to control and which serves as a means for automatically relieving excessive pressure in the pressure chamber 31. This bypass comprises a passage 59 communicating through a passage 60 in the tube 25, the mouth of which is controlled by the tapered end 61 of the valve 57. The valve 57 bears down upon its seat proportionately to the adjustment of the spring 56 and upon the attainment of a predetermined pressure in the chamber 31 .is arranged to unseat, 1 thereby permittinga quantity of fuel to pass from the pressure chamber 31 through the communicating passages 59 and 60 into the bore of the tube 25. The fuel passes through the channels 62 between the guide vanes of the valve 57 and then through the holes 58 to the inlet port 27. The adjustment of the tension of the spring 56 may of course be acc'omplished through the open end of the tube 25.

For the purpose of lightness and also for the purpose of cheapness in manufacture the filler plates are all preferably made of aluminum or some aluminum compound and, where convenient, voids such as those shown at 63 in Fig. t may be formed. The impeller plates and, in fact, all other parts which require hard Wear-resisting metals are preferably made of the proper grade of, steel. Throughout the device it has been the endeavor to proportion the parts as much alike as is possible in order to make for uniformity and hence greater accuracy and facility in manufacture since a considerable number of the parts are,when made to the proper degree of precision, substantially interchangeable. Thus there is secured further a great advantage in the matter of assembling the device.

The operation of the device appears to require no further explanation as the various parts thereof have been described largely in terms of their operation and their relation to other parts. i

It is apparent that, almost from the nature of the invention, considerable modification and adaptation is possible and the invention may be used in connection with various types and designs of engines. It is the endeavor in the accompanying claims to cover all modifications and adaptations such as would ocour to one skilled in the art" to which the invention relates.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the character described comprising a casing having a fluid fuel supply inlet and pressure outlets, pumping means in said casing comprising fluid impellers in op} erative-association, shafts for driving said impellers, one of said shafts being driven from the engine in synchronism with its actions, a pressure chamber, a distributor driven from said driven shaft and thereby in synchronism with the engines actions disposed between the pressure chamber and said outlets to open communication with the engine cylinders in their proper firing order, a bypass between'said pressure chamber and said inlet, a metering valve for controlling the amount of fuel ejected to the cylinders upon each establishment of communication therewith through the distributor, and a relief valve for controlling said bypass arranged to operate when the pressure in the pressure chamber becomes excessive to open communication through said bypass between said pressure chamber and said inlet.

2. A device of the character described comprising a casing having a fluid fuel supply inlet, pressure outlets, pumping means in said casing comprising fluid impellers in op erative association, shafts mounted in the casing carrying the impellers, one of said shafts being driven from the engine in synchronism with its actions, a pressure a chamber, a distributor driven from said driven shaft and thereby in synchronism with the engines actions disposed between the pressure chamber and said outlets to open communication with the engine cylinders in their proper firing order, a bypass between said pressure chamber and said inlet, and a metering valve for controlling said bypass thereby to effect variations in the pressure effective in the pressure chamber and hence a change in the amount of fuel ejected to the cylinders upon each establishment of communication therewith through the distributor.

3. A device of the character described comprising a casing having a fluid fuel supply inlet, pressure outlets, pumping means in said casing comprising fluid impellers in operative association, shafts mounted 'in the casing carrying the impellers, one of said shafts being driven from the engine in synchronism with its actions, a pressure chamher, a distributor driven from said driven shaft and thereby in synchronism with the engines actions disposed between the pressure chamber and said outlets to open communication with the engine cylinders in their proper firing order, and a metering valve for controlling the amount of fuel ejected to the cylinders upon each establishment of communication therewith through the distributor.

4. A'device of the character described comprising a casing having a fluid supply inlet,

pressure outlets, pumping means 1n said casing comprising fluld. impellers 1n operative association, shafts mounted 1n the easorder, the amount of fuel ejected to the cylinders ing carrying the impellers, one of said shafts being driven from the enginein synchronism with its actions, a pressure chamber, a distributor driven from said driven shaft and thereby in synchronism with the engines actions disposed between the pressure chamher and said outlets to open communication with the engine cylinders in their proper firing order, a bypass between said pressure chamber and said inlet, and an adjustable spring-pressed relief valve for controlling said bypass, said operate automaticallly to relieve a predetermined excessive pressure in the pressure chamber.

5. A device of the character described comprising a casing having a fluid fuel supply inlet, pressure outlets, pumping means in said casing comprising fluid impellers in operative association, shafts mounted in the casing carrying the impellers, one of said shafts being driven from the engine in synchronism with'its actions, tributor driven from said driven shaft and thereby in synchronism with the engines actions disposed between the pressure chamber and said outlets to open communication with the engine cylinders in their proper firing and a metering valve for controlling upon each establishment of communication therewith through the distributor.

6. A device of the character described comprising a casing, a pair of parallel shafts journalled in said casing, fluid fuel impellers mounted on said shafts in operative relation to produce a fluid pressure whereby the fluid may be injected into an engine as charges therefor, a pressure chamber in said casing, pressure outlets individual to the respective cylinders of the engine, and. a rotary distributor between said outlets and said chamber for opening communication therebetween in the firing order of said engine, said distributor being driven from one of said shafts, the latter being driven synchronously with said engine whereby the device is always in proper timed relation with the engine.

7. A device of the character described comprising a casing, a pair of arallel shafts journalled in said casing, uid impellers mounted on said shafts in operative relation to produce a fluid pressure whereby thefiuid may be injected into an engine as charges therefor, a pressure chamber in said casing, pressure outlets individual to the respective cylinders of the engine, and a distributor between said outlets and said chamber for opening communication therebetween in the firing order of said engine, said distributor bein driven from one of said shafts, the latter be ng driven synchronously with said engine whereby the device is always in proper timed relation with the engine.

8. The combination in a pump for supplyvalve being adjustable to being driven an a pressure chamber, a dis-" ing fuel under pressure to an engine of a casing, means operated within the casing for placing the fuel underpressure including a rotary driven member, outlets for the casing arranged to communicate with. the cylinders of the engine, and a distributor arranged to be drivenwith said rotary pump member and having a discharge port arranged to open communication between said pump and-the outlets for the cylinders of the engine in the firing order of the latter.

9. A device of the characterdescribed comprising a tubular casing, a head plate closing one end of said casing, an end plate closing the opposite end, an intermediate plate, a air of shafts 'ournalled in said casing, one extending between said end plate and said intermediate plate, and the other, the driver shaft, extending between said end plate and head plate, a fluid fuel supply inlet in said end plate, pressure outlets in said head plate, pressure producing means operated from said shafts, a pressure chamber in said intermediate plate, and a distributor driven-from said driver shaft between sa'id intermediate plate and said head plate for opening communication between said outlets'and said pressure chamber.

10. A device of the character describedcomprising a tubular casing, a head plate closing one end of said casing, an end plate closing the opposite end, an intermediate plate, a pair of shafts journalled in said casing, one being driven and extending between said end plate and said intermediate plate, and the other, the driver shaft, extending between said end plate and head plate, afluid fuel supply inlet in said end plate, pressure outlets in said head plate, pressure producing means operated from said shaft, a pressure chamber in said intermediate plate, a distributor driven from said driver shaft between said intermediate plate and said head plate for opening communication between said outlets and said pressure chamber, a bypass be tween said pressure chamber and said inlet, and a metering valve projecting from and operable on the outside of the casing and extending through said end plate to the intermediate plate to control said bypass to vary {hereby the fuel discharges through said outets.

11. A device of the character described comprising a tubular casing, a head plate closing one end of said casing, an end plate closing the opposite end, an intermediate plate, a air ofshafts journalled in said casing, one eing driven and extending between said end plate and said intermediate plate, and the other, the driver shaft, extending between said end plate and head plate, a fluid fuel supply inlet in said end plate, pressure outlets in said head plate, pressure producing means operated from said shafts, a pressure chamber in said intermediate plate, a distributor driven from said driver shaft between said intermediate plate and said head plate for opening communication between said outlets and said pressure chamber, a bypass between said pressure chamber and said inlet, and a relief valve controlling said bypass arranged for automatic operation to relieve excessive pressure in the pressure chamber.

12. In a device of the character described the combination of a casing having a fluid inlet, a pressure outlet, pressure producing means between said inlet and outlet, and a distributor between said last mentioned means and said outlet to open communication therebetween at intervals, said distributor comprising a plurality of disks each having a port in alinement with the ports of the other disks, and intermediate walls between said disks having openings to be registered with by said ports to permit the passage of fuel therethrough, said disks each serving as a ply of packing for the next adjacent disk Lvivhereby to prevent leakage past the series of isks.

13. A fuel pump of the character described for supplying fuel charges under pressure to an engine comprising a casing having a pressure chamber therein, means forsuccessively establishing communication between said chamber and the cylinders of the engine, pumping means operating proportionately with the speed of the engine for building up pressure in said chamber, said pressure increasing as the speed of the engine increases, and vice versa, and pressure regulatingmeans for said pressure chamber to maintain substantially constant engine speed.

14. A fuel-oil distributor for multi-cylinder internal-combustion engines operating on the high-compression cycle, comprising a body, a shaft journaled therein, means for retating the shaft, a plurality of disks non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, each disk having a port therein, said ports being in alinement, said body having for each disk a recess in which the disk fits snugly, said body having a plurality ofducts (one for each cylinder), said ducts intersecting said recesses and the ports in said disks being adapted to register with successive ducts as the disks revolve, one end of each duct communicating with a source of supply of fuel oil under high pressure, and the opposite end communicating with one of the engine cylinders.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

BAXTER M. ASLAKSO N. 

